No show for the Tawny Pipit in Dorset

We set off really early heading to Dorset looking for a Lifer in the form of a Tawny Pipit. It had been present for a few days, so we take a gamble and go for it. On the way, we pull up at Longham lakes and park at the top of Green lane and walk a short distance down to the lakes. The target bird is my second ever Whiskered Tern & we find it on the South lake after a few minutes. It's a cracking-looking Tern & we spend an hour watching it fly about the lake.

After we had our fill of the tern it's off to look for the lifer at Cogden beach. It's a steep slope down to the shingle beach after we had parked in the National Trust car park. A few birders had gathered about a mile up the beach so that's where we headed, on arrival we are told there is no sign of the Pipit. so not to be put off we spend the next 3 hours walking the shingle up and down without any sign of the target, it's a bad dip for us to take with the legs hurting now after all the walking on the shingle. The bird never showed all day so we think it probably had moved on overnight. 

 

Portland is next up for us but on the way, a quick stop at Ferrybridge add's to the year list when we spot many Little Terns on the pool. As we arrive at Portland we hear a Chough has been reported in the field with the 3 horses in. We find that field but there's no sign, so we park up & walk along the front and soon find the Chough feeding on the side of the cliff. A nice find and not expected when we set out this morning for another year tick. As we walk along the path we find lots of Rock Pipits to entertain us as they parachute up onto the rocks, we spend some time just sitting watching this display. Walking on we get 3 more year ticks when a single Shag flies past and there are many Guillemots and Razorbills. A Roseate Tern is reported at Lodmoor so we had to have a look before heading for home. But once again the luck is not with us and as the rain started to fall and no sign of the Tern we don't hang about too long.

So a couple of dips, but 6-year ticks and in such a beautiful place. At last, a visit to the coast made it a cracking day out with the boys.

Whiskered Tern

The Portland Chough

One of the Rock Pipits

Essex Woodchat Shrike.

 After Frampton on Sunday, I wake early on Monday morning & set off with the boys to Rochford in my home county of Essex it's only just over 35 miles.

With it being a bank holiday we arrive in great time & park down the bottom of Mill Lane.

Now it's only a short walk across a crop field before we meet up with a small group of maybe 20other birders. We spot the target bird as we near the group sitting out in the open among the blossom. 

A cracking-looking bird and only the second one I've seen, the other one was seen in 2017 in Chipping Sodbury, a juvenile but this one was a stunning adult.

Over an hour spent watching this beautiful Shrike along with some local birders, a lot of familiar faces came and went while we were there, it's always nice to meet up with them.

With Wallasea RSPB only 5 miles away and on our way home, we look in for a very quick visit in the hope of ticking Corn Bunting.   That is achieved as we enter the reserve on almost the first bush for another year tick.

                            

The Woodchat Shrike

Wallasea Cornbunting

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A Dotterel on a very nice visit to the wonderful Frampton.

 Up early for a drive to a favorite reserve of ours ( Frampton ) When we arrive the car park is fairly full, so we get parked & walk the main track where we are soon watching a Jack Snipe only yards in front of us and its a better sighting than the one we saw a couple of days ago, also on this first pool there are Avocet, Dunlin, Ruff & Black-tailed Godwit which I needed for a year tick. A Dotterel had been seen over on the pool by the barn.

We walked up the steps to the sea wall & after a mile walk we turn right & find the Dotterel and get a nice view from Cross Bank just a single bird but it was walking about showing well although at a distance.

So mission accomplished for the trip now to get on enjoying walking this lovely place to see what else is about.

Ticks soon arrive when 2 Yellow wagtails  & then Golden Plover show on the same pool. Although not needed for a tick a single Whimbrel landed and the third Wood Sandpiper of the week is seen.

A walk back for another look at the Jack Snipe & over a hundred Dunlin land & a few nice coloured Ruff show well. Jimmy spots a Spoonbill for Brian that he needed for a tick.

Over 30 Ring Plover show but we couldn't find the Spotted Redshank despite walking nearly the whole way around the reserve, but it was a nice walk on a nice day.  

Ruff

Golden  Plover & Dotterel

The Frampton Dotterel

The Frampton Jack Snipe

   

At last a visit to the coast after 14 months.

The week started with a local visit to the Lea Valley where we first hear the wonderful song of the Nightingale & then get to see at least 2 for a good year tick.  It is always such a thrill to hear the first Nightingale of the year.     Later in the week, we make the decision for the 3 of us to take our first visit to Norfolk for 14 months due to covid restrictions.    This is a trip to try to get the year ticks up, first up we head to Hunstanton where we are guaranteed a Fulmar &  it only takes a couple of minutes before we get our first tick of the day.      Off now to the main destination of the day in the hope of seeing the reported Jack Snipe at Titchwell, on arrival we head to Patsy's pool & start scanning the edges of the pool for the Snipe, it was not an easy find & as we heard a Grasshopper Warbler down the track at the side of the pool we had to go to find it.  It was an easy find & a right bonus when we find the Gropper sitting displaying at the top of a bush for such a great view & we get to hear at least 2 more on the walk around the reserve.  Back at the pool, a fellow birder had found the Jack Snipe it was remarkably only a few yards from the viewing screen but it was so hard to find.  A Green Sandpiper dropped in for a good year tick. On the walk up to the beach, Brian got a tick when he saw Bearded Tit & Jimmy & myself picked up a tick when we spot a flock of Brent Geese.    On the beach, it is horrible & hardly a bird in sight. We only stay for a short time but get 2 ticks with a Knott & a sign of the times when we tick our first Gannet of the year.   A quick look in at Brancaster was very disappointing with no birds anywhere apart from a few Oystercatchers.    The road to Thornham was blocked off so instead we try Wells north pool & are soon rewarded when a couple of Wood Sandpipers show,  nothing else is seen that we needed so a quick run-up to Choseley to look for the Dotterel, that was a no show but a Whimbrel was found & loads of yellowhammer gets us to more ticks.   Off home now but on the way, we pay a quick visit to Lynford where Brian got a Marsh Tit & Jimmy got, at last, another tick when a Coal Tit showed.   The final bird of a great day birding was a very nice show from a Firecrest. So nice for the 3 of us to be out together after such a very long time.

The Grasshopper Warbler

Wood Sandpiper

The very hard to find Jack Snipe